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(No Model.)

G. B. FRENCH.

MANUFACTURE OF KEY BOARD GOVERINGS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 251,212. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

WITNESSES INVENTOR:

can/4i? MJYW ATTORNEYS.

PATENT GEORGE B. FRENCH, OF I'VORYTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND LORENZO D. WEBBER, OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFACTURE OF KEY-BOARD COVERINGS FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,212, dated December 20, 1881.

Application filed July 29, 1881. (No model.)

useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Key-Board Coverings for Pianos and other Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in so punchingor cutting the spaces for the short keys in a sheet of covering material-as, for instance, celluloidbefore the same is glued to its base-board that the punched or out-out pieces may be utilized by being glued to the narrow portions of the long keys of a second base.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a set of keys, showing the manner in which they have been cut heretofore. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a set of keys cut and made according to my improved method.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

In making keys for pianos and organs it has been customary heretofore to glue a sheet of celluloid or other like material of which the covering is to be composed upon the base-board upon which the spaces A-that is to say, the spaces for the sharp and fiat keys-are sawed out of the celluloid or other plate by means of a band or circular saw. By sawing the celluloid plates saw-kerfs B are produced, and a considerable quantity of the material is thus wasted and the celluloid occupying the spaces A is lost, as this part of the celluloid is glued on the wooden base which is cut out with it,

and thus cannot be utilized. I cut or punch the spacesAout of the celluloid plate, and then glue this punched or out plate upon the baseboard, and then separate the keys in the ordinary manner by sawing. As the piece of celluloid or other material cut from the space A is not glued on the base, it can be utilized again to make a new plate for a key-board, for this strip of celluloid is glued upon another base, to form a piece extending from a to Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- The herein-described method of making keyboards, which consists in punching or cutting out the spaces for the short keys from a sheet of covering material before the same is applied to the base-board, then gluing said punched plate to one base-board and the punched or cut-out pieces to the narrow portion of the long keys of a second base, substantially as described.

GEORGE BANCROFT FRENCH. 

